Career and Education Opportunities for Wholesale Buyers in Cleveland, Ohio

Wholesale buyers can find many career and educational opportunities in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Currently, 4,410 people work as wholesale buyers in Ohio. This is expected to shrink 4% to about 4,230 people by 2016. This is not quite as good as the nation as a whole, where employment opportunities for wholesale buyers are expected to shrink by about 2.2%. In general, wholesale buyers buy merchandise or commodities, other than farm products, for resale to consumers at the wholesale or retail level, including both durable and nondurable goods.

The income of a wholesale buyer is about $21 hourly or $43,730 annually on average in Ohio. In the U.S. as a whole, their income is about $23 hourly or $48,710 annually on average. Wholesale buyers earn less than people working in the category of Representation generally in Ohio and less than people in the Representation category nationally. Wholesale buyers work in a variety of jobs, including: gold buyer, purchasing specialist, and fur buyer.

The Cleveland area is home to 103 schools of higher education, including four within twenty-five miles of Cleveland where you can get a degree as a wholesale buyer. Given that the most common education level for wholesale buyers is some college courses, you can expect to spend a short time studying to be a wholesale buyer if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Wholesale Buyer

Wholesale Buyer video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, wholesale buyers buy merchandise or commodities, other than farm products, for resale to consumers at the wholesale or retail level, including both durable and nondurable goods. They also analyze past buying trends, sales records, and quality of merchandise to determine value and yield.

Wholesale buyers examine orders, and purchase products consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements, and other factors. They also set or recommend mark-up rates, mark-down rates, and selling prices for products. Equally important, wholesale buyers have to interview and work closely with vendors to obtain and design desired products. They are often called upon to negotiate prices, discount terms, and transportation arrangements for products. Finally, wholesale buyers talk with sales and purchasing personnel to obtain data related to customer needs and preferences.

Every day, wholesale buyers are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. They need to think through problems and come up with general rules. It is also important that they listen to and understand others in meetings.

It is important for wholesale buyers to analyze and monitor sales records, trends and economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns and decide on what the company will sell and how much inventory is needed. They are often called upon to use computers to organize and locate inventory, and operate spreadsheet and word processing software. They also conduct staff meetings with sales personnel to introduce new products. They are sometimes expected to inspect products or products to establish value or yield. Somewhat less frequently, wholesale buyers are also expected to authorize payment of invoices or return of products.

Wholesale buyers sometimes are asked to train and supervise sales and clerical staff. and furnish clerks with data to print on price tags, such as price, mark-ups or mark-downs and style number. And finally, they sometimes have to examine orders, and purchase products consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements, and other factors.

Like many other jobs, wholesale buyers must have exceptional integrity and be able to deal with stress and deal with situations calmly.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Cleveland include:

Agent. Represent and promote artists, performers, and athletes to prospective employers. May handle contract negotiation and other business matters for clients.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Wholesale Buyer Training

University of Akron Main Campus - Akron, OH

University of Akron Main Campus, 302 Buchtel Common, Akron, OH 44325-4702. University of Akron Main Campus is a large university located in Akron, Ohio. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs and has 24,202 students. University of Akron Main Campus has 3 areas of study related to Wholesale Buyer. They are:

Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Operations, bachelor's degree which graduated 8 students in 2008.

Virginia Marti College of Art and Design, 11724 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood, OH 44107. Virginia Marti College of Art and Design is a small college located in Lakewood, Ohio. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 2-year programs. It has 274 students and an admission rate of 83%. Virginia Marti College of Art and Design has an associate's degree program in Fashion Merchandising which graduated twenty-four students in 2008.

Ursuline College - Pepper Pike, OH

Ursuline College, 2550 Lander Rd, Pepper Pike, OH 44124. Ursuline College is a small college located in Pepper Pike, Ohio. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 1,430 students and an admission rate of 43%. Ursuline College has a bachelor's degree program in Fashion Merchandising.

Kent State University Kent Campus - Kent, OH

Kent State University Kent Campus, , Kent, OH 44242-0001. Kent State University Kent Campus is a large university located in Kent, Ohio. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 22,944 students and an admission rate of 80%. Kent State University Kent Campus has a bachelor's degree program in Fashion Merchandising which graduated 153 students in 2008.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio photo by FlickreviewR

Cleveland is situated in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. It has a population of over 433,748, which has shrunk by 9.3% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Cleveland, 81, is well below the national average. New single-family homes in Cleveland are valued at $94,100 on average, which is far less than the state average. In 2008, one hundred nine new homes were built in Cleveland, down from one hundred eighty-four the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Cleveland are health care, accommodation and food services, and educational services. For men, it is metal and metal products, construction, and accommodation and food services. The average travel time to work is about 26 minutes. More than 11.4% of Cleveland residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 3.8%, is lower than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Cleveland is 10.5%, which is greater than Ohio's average of 10.0%.

The percentage of Cleveland residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 57.8%, is more than both the national and state average. Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, Abyssinia Baptist Church and Highland Christian Church are among the churches located in Cleveland. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the United Methodist Church and the American Baptist Churches in the USA.

Cleveland is home to the Mastick Woods Golf Course and the Dock Number 32 as well as Shaker Square Historic District and Newton Avenue Historic District. Shopping malls in the area include Shaker-Moreland Shopping Center, Shaker Square Shopping Center and Clark West 30th Shopping Center. Visitors to Cleveland can choose from Hilton Garden Inn Cleveland Gateway, Airport Sheraton and Extended Stayamerica for temporary stays in the area.